20 Mar 2016

There is a problem with the maintenance of reprographic machines and equipment in Selebi Phikwe West constituency,  Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ms Botlogile Tshireletso told Parliament on Wednesday.

Ms Tshireletso said out of the six primary schools with reprographic machines, only two machines were functional. The two are Tebogo Primary School where there is a fully functional choreographic machine, whilst Lapologang Primary School has one small machine that was used in place of the main machine which is not functioning.

She said the status of reprographic machines in the remaining four schools was that at Phikwe Primary the machine had not worked since 2014; at Reuben Mpabanga, the machine is not satisfactory as at times it took long to make copies, while at Joseph Anderson and Boswelakgomo, the machines had not worked since February 2016.

She explained that non-functionality of the machines had a bearing on the learning and teaching in the affected schools as teachers are not able to produce the required work for children either as homework or to improve their learning needs.

Ms Tshireletso said in the interim schools have been clustered into three groups to share resources including these machines while awaiting repair and procurement of toners for the machines in the 2016/17 financial year.

She said the decision to share resources among schools was  extended to include usage of available machines in secondary schools.

She was responding to Selebi Phikwe West MP Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse who had asked the minister how many primary schools in the Selebi Phikwe West constituency had fully functional reprographic machines or equipment and how long this has been the case. Mr Keorapetse had also wanted the minister to explain how the lack of these machines had affected teaching and learning for the concerned schools and how the problem was being addressed. Ends